


great miracles

by afrocurl



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Canonical Character Death, Charles Xavier has a Ph.D in Adorable, Coming of Age, Erik is not a Happy Bunny, Gen, Hanukkah, Minor Character Death, Mistaken for Being in a Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-17
Updated: 2014-12-21
Packaged: 2018-03-02 00:02:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2792501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afrocurl/pseuds/afrocurl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The many Hanukkah celebrations of young Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr.</p><p>1989 - Their first and most awkward.<br/>1990 - Erik unhappily grates all the potatoes. Charles plays in the snow.<br/>1991 - Charles watches as Erik's Hanukkah celebrations remind him of the past.<br/>1992 - Erik won't ruin Santa for Raven, even if the knows what he does.<br/>1993 - Erik's found a way to avoid what he hates at Hanukkah.<br/>1994 - Charles messes up his own attempts at Hanukkah.<br/>2000 - A very late flight and a very bad mistake ruin another Hanukkah.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1989

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KatiaSwift](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatiaSwift/gifts), [aesc](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aesc/gifts), [ikeracity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ikeracity/gifts).



> A few of these chapters are gifts to friends. Chapter 1 is for KatiaSwift. Chapter 2 is for aesc. Chapter 7 is for ikeracity.

Even as the Charles saw footage of the Berlin Wall falling, he knew there was more he wanted to do. More he needed to do. It was just before Veteran’s Day and all he could think about was the people who had freedom now after so long. Without knowing how it happened, he felt their trepidation, their fear, their anger. He felt small things from West Germans too. Their own problems and even though Charles knew he was different than anyone else, he couldn’t _do_ anything right now.

He tugged at his father’s sleeve the next night, whining, “Father, we need to get some of them out. Find a family from the East and help them. There’s so many people who need help from the East and possibly the West too.” Father understood how gifted Charles was, but even in his mind there was a nervous edge about what Charles wanted him to do.

His father nodded eventually and in no small thanks to everything that Charles had said, there was a mother and son who soon arrived at Graymalkin to live with them.

Neither of them spoke much English, but Father said that they were from Dusseldorf and that his colleagues had said they were scared ,nervous and needed to get out.

The son, Erik, was like Charles—he could move metal, or so the original test suggested—and the German government hadn’t known what to do with him. Or his mother.

Charles smiled at them whenever he could, but Erik always shied away from where Charles was.

It went on like that for weeks, but just as the house was making all the final Christmas plans, Edie left one day and returned with a metal candelabra that evening. Charles felt her happiness when she returned home and so he watched as she and Erik lit two candles and said something in Hebrew before she gave Erik a small bag of chocolate coins and a small top.

In Erik’s mind, he was happier than his mother, having a small gift for the night and seeing the toy for the first time in ages.

Charles cautiously walked over to Erik’s room later that night and knocked. They still hadn’t said much, but today Erik moved the doorknob open and let Charles in. Erik’s room was plainly decorated, but there was a warmth to it that Charles rarely found in his.

Erik sat on the floor, the rug pulled up to reveal the hardwood floor, spinning the top. From his mind, Charles saw that there was a game Erik wanted to play, with rules that he didn’t know how to translate.

Charles thought _can we play together?_ , hoping that along with the question he also conveyed some of what he wanted to do.

Erik looked up after Charles asked his question and nodded slowly. Charles sat quickly to watch what Erik was going to do. Without saying another word, there were little pieces of metal that flew to the floor and Erik started to spin the top. 

The top landed on a letter that looked like a door with a piece missing and Erik grabbed half the pieces and pulled them towards him. Then he put them all back and spun it again. This time it showed up with half a archway and Erik did nothing. Like before, Erik spun and this time a letter showed up with a little foot and the arch; Erik grabbed all the metal and put them closer to him. The pieces went back and when Erik spun again, a letter like a W appeared and he made a few more pieces and put a few of them into the pot.

Charles watched the entire time and felt that Erik had just explained the game to him without words. Slowly, Erik pushed the top towards Charles and divided up all the metal pieces Erik had made. Charles spun the little top for the first time and waited to see what would happen next.


	2. 1990

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For aesc: Erik is grating ALL the potatoes while Charles is off playing in the snow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea of this was originally posted [here](http://theletteraesc.tumblr.com/post/104850845905/that-idea-of-bb-erik-grating-potatoes-is-so-sweet).

In the year or so since he had arrived in New York, Erik knew life would always be different than before. For one, he and Mama were learning English—him at the house with a private tutor, and her at the local community center—and they were living with a family who seemed to have too much money but was more than happy to let them stay with them while they adjusted to live in America. 

Mostly Erik wanted to hate all the money that the Xaviers had and how easy it was for them to flaunt it. The money only mattered when he grew again and Charles noticed that his clothes were too short. Or when Charles wanted to go into the city for a play and take Erik and Mama with them.

Erik hadn’t known that a family could have that much money—or space to live in—but he was slowly learning that Charles’ family was not normal and that they were not taking on Erik and Mama as pity, but as philanthropy. 

Even though there was wealth all around him now, Mama wouldn’t allow them to use the Xavier’s staff to get ready for tonight’s dinner. It was just before Hanukkah was to start, but it was still his job to get the potatoes ready.

Erik had always been in charge of the potatoes at home, at least when he was old enough to hold the knife without issue and especially when his powers manifested. Now that it wasn’t just him and Mama (last year they had been too scared and too new to have a full night of latkes), he had so much more work to do.

His powers over metal had grown in the last year; not only could he move pieces around, but he could mold them into new shapes and feel the difference between different types. However, that didn’t help him with the grating. He still had to keep the grater in place as he moved the potatoes up and down. All the potatoes stared back at him, with all their eyes as if he was doing a poor job.

Turning away from the scary tubers and towards the outside, Erik saw Charles playing in the newly fallen snow. He wanted to be outside with Charles, for they had grown close over the year. Their first game of dreidel was one Erik remembered often - talked about often with his tutor in German and English - and maybe tonight after the Xaviers along with he and Mama had latkes and lit the candles, he and Charles could play again.

But first, he had to finish off all these potatoes. All those potatoes.

 _If you hurry with them you can still come out here,_ Charles sent, and it was easier now for Erik to understand what Charles said this way. Last year it was just seeing Charles’ eyes at the dreidel that had helped with the feeling of a question that came to Erik because the words were foreign to him then.

Erik looked at the potatoes and grumbled. There were still another thirty to go before Mama would be able to start on the latkes. _Too many,_ was all he sent back and then he put his hand around another potato and moved it up and down.

It was easier to be miserable about his task than to be miserable about not playing with Charles, though they were nearly the same thing to him.


	3. 1991

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This Hanukkah is harder than most and Charles hates watching Erik like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second half of aesc's prompt idea.

It was Raven’s first Hanukkah and Erik, despite everything, was still committed to having a dinner for the family. Charles looked at him in the kitchen, keeping the grater level in the air while he moved the potatoes up and down.

Charles wanted to offer support for Erik in his prolonged grief, but he didn’t know how. Even though Father had died with Edie - the fire to his lab took her along with him because she was always willing to help - Charles had realized that since the Lehnsherrs arrived, Father had been distant and closed off, consumed with trying to keep up his own work and still help others like Edie and Erik. Father managed to bring over other families in need to some of his friends and the toll was, Charles knew now, hard to miss; Father’s eyes were always puffy and he looked haggard all the time.

His own grief had been left to the darker moments of the night when he was alone. Erik’s had been visible - loud cries during his lessons and sobs when the staff made something that Edie loved. 

In spite of all of that, Erik had said he wanted to celebrate Hanukkah, as the one last way he could honor his mother. It wasn’t just for him (though it was in part) but also because Raven had come into the family just before everything went wrong and she, too, deserved to know of the new Lehnsherr-Xavier tradition.

The potato pieces were falling gracefully onto the table and Charles realized again how much his and Erik’s relationship had changed since their parents died. They were friends, but Erik’s whole world had crashed and burned and he had been left with nothing. They were no longer innocent boys, though Erik must have wanted to maintain one aspect of his happiness with Edie.

There was nothing left for them, except for this one holiday, Charles thought. Hanukkah was the one holiday that was easier to celebrate in America and the one that they first attempted after arriving. Still, it was hard to watch Erik try to hold back tears.

Just as Charles wanted to say something, however, Raven bounded in, almost screaming, “I’m hungry!”

“We aren’t ready to eat yet, Raven. Erik has to finish making the potatoes into the right form before he can fry them.

“But I always eat now.” 

“I know, but today we do things differently. Why don’t we go into the parlor and play a game Erik taught me two years ago.”

Charles waited for her to fight back, but she just nodded and let Charles lead her away.

_I wish I could do more, but she’d like that you were doing this._

Erik didn’t send anything else back, but Charles felt how determined Erik was to finish them and to make the dinner the best he could to honor his mother.


	4. 1992

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erik doesn't ruin the mysteries of Santa for Raven, though he really wants to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based off a tumblr post wherein someone on Yak thanked all the Jewish kids for not ruining the myth of Santa.

At thirteen, Erik was now a man in the eyes of his peers at the local shul. He didn’t feel any different after becoming Bar Mitzvah, but it was probably something symbolic that Mama would never explain to him.

But it meant that he felt like a man in the mansion as Christmas and Hanukkah approached, he looked at all of his friends gushing over what they had asked for and sighed. They, at least, were old enough to know that Santa was no longer real; their gifts were all from their parents.

That didn’t extend to Raven, however. At eight years old, she still felt that the magic of season was from Santa and not Sharon farming out the task of finding presents to one of the staff members. She had been talking about Santa since December started and Erik would have loved to tell her that she was talking about someone made up, but as soon as he saw how Raven lit up when she did discuss it, he couldn’t do it.

Charles, in large part because of his telepathy, also knew that Santa wasn’t real, but neither he nor Erik had yet to tell Raven that. They simply gave each other looks when she looked at the large tree in the parlor and added one more comment about her list for Santa.

Erik couldn’t bring himself to ruin all the fun Raven had when she wanted to believe in the man. For someone who had come into the Xavier home as an orphan, Raven had needed (and still needs) the joy of youth. He had never asked where Raven’s family had gone (and he never would) but he could guess that anyone who had a daughter who could morph into anyone was too much to handle. 

Erik lost that feeling of joy long ago. Charles probably did too. Raven stopped her current ramblings about Santa and her list and left the room, leaving only Erik.

From the other side of the house Charles replied, _I knew Santa was Mother and Father at five, or there abouts. But I kept up the lie until Father died. He was the one who went out of his way to find things I wanted._

Erik understood that idea, somewhat, but didn’t know how to reply.

_Hanukkah starts in three days. We’re still on for latkes?_

_It’ll just be you, Raven and me, but I wouldn’t miss it. Mother’s too concerned with her friend vodka right now._

Erik smiled at being able to continue what had started four years ago. He rather liked that Charles enjoyed eating all the latkes or else he might have stopped after last year.

 _We’ll celebrate as long as we can. Together,_ Charles sent. 

Erik sent his own feelings of happiness at that and left the parlor to look over the latest novel that Charles had wanted him to read.


	5. 1993

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erik's found a way to avoid the part of Hanukkah that he could do without.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This idea came from a conversation with **spicedpiano** about latke parties.

Charles knew that the latkes Erik made now held a very special place in his heart so it was a shock when at the beginning of December Erik said, “I want to have a Hanukkah party so that everyone can eat some of Mama’s famous latkes.”

Under the words, Charles saw, was a desire to include more people in his faith - Erik growing tired of having to listen to everyone talk about whatever it was Christians said - and a desire to not have to grate all the potatoes in order to enjoy the latkes.

Charles let out a small laugh at the way Erik’s mind worked and why he was truly hosting this party, but Charles couldn’t disagree. 

There were so many mutants in their circle now and Erik was mentally listing whom he wanted to include: Emma, Azazel, Angel, Armando and Alex.

Charles added a few more names, carefully sending _Hank, John and Bobby_ along with a pleased feeling at having all of their growing friends to the house.

Secretly Charles hoped that Mother would stay away in her wing, but given that she’d rarely left it in the last few weeks, it didn’t seem a problem.

*

It went without saying that there were no invitations to Erik’s party, but word had gotten around well enough and on a cool early December evening, the doorbell kept ringing as all of the other mutants at their school arrived.

Everyone had been told to bring something for the party - a few people brought five pound bags of potatoes, a few apple sauce and even a few sour cream containers - and if they hadn’t brought that, they all had soda or something else that could be shared.

As the ingredients were put into the kitchen, Charles watched Erik smile widely before speaking.

“So, thanks for coming, everyone. You’re in for a fun night, let me just say. One of the first things you’re going to do is make sure all the potatoes are grated and shredded.”

Someone let out a groan, but Erik wasn’t going to stop. “I’ll fry them when we’re ready, but you should all know what goes into making good latkes. Not the ones from the package.”

Charles made a face - remembering the time one of the cooks had brought some packaged mix and made them. Erik had almost thrown all the metal in the room at the poor woman before Charles stepped in and glossed over the offense in her mind.

_Don’t be so smug at making Emma grate potatoes. You know she’ll get back at you later._

Across the room Erik laughed a little before he replied, _She’ll love the food too much to do anything. I don’t mess with Mama’s recipe._

Erik was right there, and so Charles moved from where he had been standing towards the large island to start getting the potatoes ready for everyone else.

At least Erik still did something - chopping the onions from afar - so that he wasn’t just supervising.


	6. 1994

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oops? Charles couldn't get it right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is late because birthday festivities yesterday took over, but we'll just finish this little series up today with two in one.

Erik walked into the house on a cool November evening after working on his fine motor skills with his mutation and smelled something awful.

It was something that had burnt - and burnt badly - so much so that from the front door, Erik could tell what happened.

Charles was in the kitchen - obviously by the feel of the watch Erik knew he wore - and as Erik walked in, it was obvious that at least three of the fry pans had been nearly ruined.

“I was trying to make latkes for dinner tonight. Happy Hanukkah.” Charles’ voice sounded as dejected as he looked, and Erik walked over and surveyed the damage. 

“It’s not so bad, actually. You didn’t ruin all the batter.”

“But the pans.”

“Those won’t take me long to fix, see.” Erik moved his fingers as he took control over the pans and started to find a way to separate the burnt potato mixture from them. “You just forgot to oil the pan well enough.”

“Oh,” was all Charles said. After, Erik felt Charles’ emotions seep through; Charles was hurt that he ruined this, but trying to put on a good front.

“Yes, we’ll be good in no time. Tell Raven so she can have one or two?”

Charles nodded at Erik’s question and left the room. While Erik didn’t want him to go, it was better for Charles not to see how he the pans looked once Erik was finished. 

He’d just start on the latkes all over and make sure that they were just like always when everyone else arrived.


	7. 2000

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the first night of Hanukkah and Charles and Erik are stuck in an airport. It's less than ideal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Ike, based off one of the prompts in [this post](http://ikeracity.tumblr.com/post/105320620299/tickatocka-airport-related-aus-tho-i-fell).

Even though Charles had applied to Harvard Early Action - and heard back with an acceptance - he still wanted to look at a few California schools on his list. It hadn’t been difficult to go out and look when CalTech wanted to honor Father’s work from years before, even if Father hadn’t actually gone there.

The tours at CalTech and Harvey Mudd were interesting enough, and they were even better with Erik at his side. While Erik was older, he had chosen to stay at home and start at a community college before moving to a four-year school. They just happen to mostly coincide with Charles’ choices.

Mother thought it strange - as did Raven - but neither said anything aloud. Charles preferred it that way.

What he didn’t prefer was waiting in LAX for their red eye to leave when he’d been up since seven that morning, taking in the last of the tours, info sessions and interviews. The schools had all been nice enough to still have staff around after finals had ended, but it was a long day of being in traffic and sitting around.

All Charles wanted to do was sleep. If only their flight hadn’t been delayed. 

For reasons that Charles still didn’t understand, Erik looked as if nothing from their day had affected him. He drove through hours of traffic from place to place, answered questions, still found time for them to eat lunch and dinner and arrive at the airport in one piece. (Charles was more than grateful that they could together get around the problem of having a twenty-one year old renting a car without fees.)

Erik’s shoulder was warm and Charles started to drift off just when the announcement again said that the flight to JFK was delayed. 

They had officially missed the first night of Hanukkah - thanks to the airport and his own desire to see every possible school in and around LA that might be a good fit rather than be home on time.

He tried to push all of the lingering issues of colleges aside and let himself doze at Erik’s side. 

For a while, he succeeded, but then a shrill voice said, “Oh aren’t you two the sweetest thing.” It was hard for Charles to ignore the timber of her voice or the feeling of accepting an openly gay young couple in 2000.

“Ma’am, we’re not together. We’re friends, almost family.”

“Don’t be silly. I can tell that you’re more than friends.”

Before Charles could say anything, Erik stepped in. “We’ve been living in the same house for almost fourteen years, I think we’d know if we were lovers. We’re not. Now, please, my friend wants to sleep before we board.”

Erik shifted his shoulders, ridding himself of some of the nervous tension from the woman’s words, and once he was settled, Charles went back to resting on Erik’s shoulder.

If they had to miss Hanukkah like this - the latkes and candles - then he’d rather do that together. 

Just like they always would.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to **Casey** and **Di** for the quick beta help. Any remaining errors are my own.
> 
> Title inspired by the message from all the letters on a dreidel.
> 
> For the sake of this story, let's assume that Charles' and Erik's abilities as small kids are better than they probably were.
> 
> All of the dates for each Hanukkah were found [here](http://www.altiusdirectory.com/Society/hanukkah-dates.html).


End file.
